From Discord

By greenrandomness

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and sorry for any typos. I noticed a few in the previous chapters and have gone back and fixed them. IMPORTANT READ THIS: Also I am considering turning this into a 3rd person POV now that I have gotten use to writing again. It's all up to you guys though. Keeping it first person, or going for 3rd person, I could do either probably just as well as the other. I didn't go with third person originally because I was having trouble expressing emotions and actions from the 3rd person, but I believe that I could now pull it off. So it's up to you guys. END OF IMPORTANT MESSAGE I hope you enjoy this chapter things should be picking up a bit.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters, but all original components of this story are mine.

Italics indicate thoughts.

Bold words indicate extreme emphasis.


Chapter 4- In the Shadows

Lunch had been the bright spot of my day. My classes afterwards had been just like the morning. Whispers and stares followed my through the school, and by the time the last bell rang I was about to roast anyone who so much as looked at me wrong. Rushing out the door as soon as the dull tone sounded I made it to my locker and out the door in record time. Seeing Will and the gang approaching me, I slowed down.

A chorus of 'Hey Warren' 'what's up' and 'hey' greeted my ears. A slight smile graced my features as we began our walk to the bus area.

"So're you commin' with us to study at Will's?" Zack asked turning towards me.

"I think I'll pass." I mumbled trying to ignore the stares following me even now.

"Aw come on, it'll be fun." Layla prodded, and I almost gave in right then and there.

"Last time I got pelted with a fox." I monotoned as I glared at her.

"It was only a remote." Ethan countered, "It couldn't have hurt that much."

Pausing for a second, I decided it was time to give them my real reason. "I could have hemorrhaged…" I deadpanned and waited until after their laughing subsided to say, "Really guys it's been a hard day, I just want to go home and sleep for a while."

"Oh okay." Magenta caught on right away, giving me a quick squeeze of the shoulder before stepping into the bus.

"We understand Warren, go relax for a while." Layla replied before flashing a quick smile and getting on her bus.

"See ya, call me if you need to talk or anything." Will added before joining his girlfriend on the bus.

"Later man!" Zack yelled as he bounded up the stairs to get a seat next to Magenta.

"Bye." Ethan smiled quickly before joining the rest on the bus. Waving at them all through the semi-darkened windows, I stepped away from their bus and onto mine. Stalking to the back and plopping down, I spent the rest of the ride reading away the whispers.


Finally reaching my neighborhood, the bus drive let a few others and I off before continuing on his way. The two others quickly walked away, leaving me at the stop alone. With a sigh I began my three-block walk home.

Gazing up at the sky, I saw that it was clear blue. Not a single cloud was in sight, and the sun was shining brightly. Squinting, I looked back down as I passed an alleyway that the sunlight had missed. Just as I was about to leave it behind me something grabbed my jacket, pulling me in.

"Hey!" I half shouted, struggling against the force holding me to the wall. The grip was almost painful, pushing me just hard enough that the jagged corners of the wall jabbed into my back. Suddenly the hand holding me to the wall released, and I ceased my struggle. Looking up into the eyes of my assaulter, I almost gasped in shock. "You!" I accused, only receiving a greasy smile in return.

His hair looked so much like mine, dark and wavy as the slight breeze blew it into his eyes, eyes that resembled mine so closely that I could sometimes look in the mirror and think for just a second that it had been him standing there. The darkness hid most of his features, but I knew that if we were to step into the light I would see an older version of myself standing beside me. Stopping my observation I looked up at Barron Battle, my father.

"Warren, you've grown so much. Last time I saw you, you barely came up to my waist." He responded as if he were a caring family member. Which I suppose he was, a family member that is.

"And whose fault is that?" I growled, straightening my rumpled jacket before glaring into his dark eyes. The rage boiling there startled me, and I took a step back bumping into the crooked bricks of the alley wall.

"You think it's my fault?" He raged, stepping closer to me. "Is that what your mother told you?" He spat as he started to shake with years of ill suppressed anger. "They brought it upon themselves! I bet she didn't tell you that. They—" Stopping mid rant he seemed to compose himself, once again hiding behind a calm facade, "But," He paused again, "That is not what I am here to talk to you about…How have you been? How's school going?" He asked as if this were an everyday occurrence. As if he was still home everyday to ask about my life.

"Get out of here." I ordered, gazing at him coolly.

"What?" He questioned as if he honestly didn't understand, and maybe part of him truly didn't. Maybe he thought he was going to come back and we were going to pick up right where we left off.

"Leave." I growled stepping closer to him, my hands in fists at my sides.

"Haven't you missed me?" He asked innocently, tearing at my heart.

God, you don't know how much.

"I want you to leave and never come back. If you so much as set one foot in Maxville I will turn you in." I snarled getting, as close to him as I dared, but despite my words every fiber of my being wanted me to welcome him back into my life.

"I can't do that Ren." He sighed, falling back on my old childhood nickname, " I've got things to do here…you could join me ya know. It'd be just like old times. You and me, father and son.

"YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!" I screamed pushing him back before lighting my hands up like torches.

"No need to get violent son. I understand that you're bitter, but you'll come around." With that final reassurance he seemed to vanish into the wall of the alley, leaving me to my rage. Shaking, I slammed my flaming fist into the wall. Hearing my middle knuckle fracture with the force did nothing to ease my rage. Opening my firsts I slammed my palms into the wall as I tried to quell my shaking. Each slap of my hands against the gritty wall sent small slivers of pain through my hands.

Turning around, I leaned against the dirty scorched wall before sliding down onto the floor of the alleyway. Dropping my head against the still warm stone, I gazed down at my shaking hands. The swelling around my middle knuckle had already started to go down, my anger once again flared. Just another thing he gave me.

Being able to set yourself on fire requires a certain amount of resilience to damage. Small things like cuts and bruises heal almost instantly, while fractures and more serious wounds can take from hours to days. This protects me from burning off my skin each time I power up, without it I would have burned off all the skin on my hands the first time it happened.

Burning has never really hurt me; I believe that my resilience is especially strong when pitted against fire or heat. Which would make sense considering my body temperature is perpetually way above average. It all came as one package deal, extremely high temperature, increased resilience, and setting myself on fire, and it all came from my father.

Stilling my shaking hands enough to see my watch I realized that it was way past the time I was suppose to be home. Knowing my mom would be worried, I pulled myself up from the ground and took a shaking step into the sunlight. The bright world didn't seem possible after what I had just experienced. Anything good existing in a place where he had been seemed unfeasible. Turning to the right, I continued my journey home. Trying with each step to calm my frazzled nerves. The tranquility of home would offer me no solace that night.

TBC


Author's note: I hope you all liked it :D and please review even if you didn't. The next update should be sometime tomorrow.